The Lightning

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Development

At the very end of the Second World War, the English
Electric Aviation Company was contracted to develop the design of
Britain's first jet bomber, the B3/45, later to become the Canberra. The
design was so successful that early researches indicated that, in terms
of altitude and manoeuvrability, this aircraft would be able to
outperform all fighters in existence or known to be in build. Even in
terms of speed, it would outperform everything with the possible
exception of the new North American P86 Sabre.

So,
having created their own problem and with nightmare visions of
similar Soviet bombers coming out of the East in unreachable and
therefore invulnerable waves, in 1947 the Ministry of Supply issued
Experimental Requirement 103 for a manned research aircraft capable
of exploring transonic and supersonic speeds. Both English Electric
and Fairey Aviation submitted proposals, the former being designated
the P.1 and the latter the FD.2.

W E W Petter, then chief engineer of English
Electric made a few sketches on the back of the proverbial envelope.
The delta wing configuration was examined, but Petter rejected the
delta as a complete wing and decided that the new aircraft should
have swept wings, with the rear part of the ‘delta’ being a moveable
tailplane. It was also decided to include provision for weapons
systems from the start, in contrast to the FD.2, which was a pure
research vehicle.

The
ER103 design study was sufficiently impressive for English Electric
to be awarded the contract for two prototypes and a structural-test
airframe. The early prototypes evolved into the Lightning, an
aeroplane which was to span the time from when the Spitfire was our
primary front-line fighter to the end of the Cold War. The hitherto
invulnerable bomber threat had become easy prey for the finest
point-defence interceptor the world had ever seen, and the English
Electric Lightning flew into the heritage of the British people.

The Lightning was the only British designed and
built fighter capable of speeds in excess of Mach 2 to serve with
the Royal Air Force. It evolved at a time when Britain led the way
in aviation and it suffered at the hands of the government in the
same way as did the industry which had created it. There is no doubt
that the Lightning will go down in the history books as another
classic British fighter. This site is a tribute to the Lightning, to
those who served on the Lightning squadrons and to the enthusiasts
who have kept airframes either running or in airworthy condition.